Deutsche Telekom rolls out Access 4.0 platform

Deutsche Telekom has successfully launched its Access 4.0 (A4) platform, marking a significant shift in the company's network infrastructure. The new platform replaces traditional, vendor-specific fixed network systems with open, disaggregated, and microservice-based technologies. The first customer was connected via a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) line using the A4 platform in Stuttgart in December 2020, fulfilling the company's commitment to go live before the end of 2020.

Walter Goldenits, CTO of Telekom Deutschland, described the launch as a key milestone in Deutsche Telekom's transformation into a software-based telecommunications provider. "We are consistently shaping the industry's direction toward solutions based on open and disaggregated components in the fixed network area as well," he stated.

The disaggregated architecture aims to provide greater flexibility and efficiency. The platform is based on open-source principles and seeks to foster competition among suppliers, potentially reducing investment costs for network operators. Deutsche Telekom is actively involved in international collaborative projects like the Broadband Forum (BBF) and the Open Networking Foundation (ONF) to ensure synergies across the sector.

While Access 4.0 is initially tailored for Deutsche Telekom's broadband internet access (FTTH/B), the underlying technology is intended to support other network edge applications in the future, particularly in the 5G and Open RAN environment. The company is now focused on refining the platform for rollout in other regions.